Kasparov-Petrosian Variation, Main Line

With 5...d5, Black blocks the e4-square with a pawn rather than relying only on the b7-bishop and knight, giving the game a Queen's Gambit Declined flavor. The most common reply, 6. cxd5, forces Black to pick between the Classical 6...exd5 and the Modern 6...Nxd5. The pin 6. Bg5 is almost as frequent, with the quieter 6. e3 trailing well behind. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, and results in the database are nearly even.